Oops! How do I de-grease her tail?

[Antonia]

Yesterday Tatja got her tail soaked with cooking oil which I had stupidly left in an uncovered pan on the kitchen worktop. (It had already cooled off, that’s why muggins here didn’t bother to cover it.) We washed her tail with baby shampoo and rinsed with lots of water. It has dried now, but it’s still a bit greasy making the hairs stick together.

I will not disrespect the poor girl by posting a pic, but her magnificent duster, her crowning glory, looks half its usual thickness now.

So, if anyone has any tips on how to get the remaining grease out I’d be delighted.

[debbie560]

You need to try something like Mechanics use to get the oil out of their hands, its called Swarfega.. This should do the job!!

[Jolly]

Hi there,

Poor thing! bless her, how about Fairy Liquid? Fairy Liquid dissolves grease, we have used it to get grease out of things in the past (although not cat tails!) and it works really well.

J

[harrymc]

Oh, poor little mite. In the hairdressers we sometimes have this problem after taking out hair extensions, the dissolver of the glue is oily and can be awkward to remove. Unfortunately there is no quick resolution, but we always put shampoo on dry hair and leave it on for a few minutes (i know that's easier said than done with a kitty !) then wash it out and repeat. It actually doesn't matter what type of shampoo you use, so your normal cat shampoo will suffice. Hope you can sort her out, there's nothing worse for a woman - bad hair day ;)

[Antonia]

Thanks guys for your advice.
Anything that has to be left in for a while is out of the question, I’m afraid… she’ll immediately try to lick it off.
So I’ll first give Jolly’s idea a try – I guess Fairy Liquid is the type of washing up liquid we call Dubro over here. If that doesn’t work, it’s off to the DIY store for the ‘hardcore’ stuff that Debbie mentioned.

[debbie560]

Thanks guys for your advice.
Anything that has to be left in for a while is out of the question, I’m afraid… she’ll immediately try to lick it off.
So I’ll first give Jolly’s idea a try – I guess Fairy Liquid is the type of washing up liquid we call Dubro over here. If that doesn’t work, it’s off to the DIY store for the ‘hardcore’ stuff that Debbie mentioned.

Most stud boys tails are washed in Swarfega you rub it in and wash it straight out... and its not bad for the cat I have used it for years!

[Antonia]

Heheh... the plume has been restored to its former glory! Without need for detergents and getting Tatja’s poor tail wet again. Yesterday night I came across an excellent tip on a Dutch MC forum … cornstarch! Gently rub it in, working it into the fur for a minute, and then brush brush brush (takes ages but she seemed to enjoy it). Clean the brush after every 2 or 3 strokes, until it comes out clean. Goodbye grease, hello plumeau!

They say it also works on wet poo-y breeches… the cornstarch absorbs all the nastiness instead of only spreading it like water does.

Madame is still abed, sleeping in. As soon as she makes her appearance with us humble folk downstairs, I’ll see if I can take a photo.

[Howlinbob]

Hey what a result! Just to clarify, is cornstarch the same thing as cornflour? (ie, a thickening agent for sauces)?

[FreyjaRoMaine]

That's a good tip for the future. Good to know that her plumage has been restored to its natural and normal glory!

[Antonia]

Hey what a result! Just to clarify, is cornstarch the same thing as cornflour? (ie, a thickening agent for sauces)?

Yup... aka maizena.

Here's the promised pic of Tatja showing off her as-good-as-new duster.